Overseas Nurse Recruitment campaign from 2019 – ongoing

It’s a hugely exciting time for University Hospitals Dorset (UHD), with plenty more to come – and you could be part of it!

The Trust was established very recently, in October 2020, following the merger of Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The move is expected to “provide huge opportunities and benefits to the way [the Trust] delivers patient care in the future and will lead to better outcomes, improved quality and more efficient service delivery.”

Already, a major transformation is underway as part of a £250m development plan – Dorset’s Vision – which is due to reach completion in 2026. Along with some new, state-of-the-art facilities, the Trust is implementing a wide-reaching restructure of its acute healthcare services, which will see Hospitals in East Dorset being given specialist roles, Bournemouth becoming a Major Emergency Hospital, and Poole a Major Planned Hospital, with Dorset County Hospital continuing to deliver planned and emergency care.

Of course, while all of this is happening, UHD remains committed to delivering safe and high-quality care to its patients. “Every single person working within this organisation,” they say, “makes a difference to the quality of care provided.” The Trust currently serves around 550,000 people living in Bournemouth, Christchurch, East Dorset and part of the New Forest, and also provides specialist services in Poole, the Purbecks and South Wiltshire.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rating: Outstanding!

CQC is the independent regulator of health and social care in England. The CQC makes sure health and social care service providers – such as University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust – offer people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care. They carry out regular inspections and provide reports on the care that’s offered, as well as any progress that has been made since their previous report. The CQC last inspected the Trust in March 2018 and published their report in June 2018.

The inspection looked at safety, and whether services are effective, caring, responsive and well-led. It was leadership at the Trust that gained a rating of “Outstanding”. The Trust was also deemed “Good” for being safe, effective, caring and responsive to people’s needs. 

Providing the excellent care we would expect for our own families. In order to do this, we have been redefining what is important to us as we go about our daily work – our values.

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The trust's values
Communicate: Say it, hear it, do it!
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the trust's values
Improve: Change it!
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the trust's values
Pride: Show it!
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the trust's values
Teamwork: Share it!
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Location and cost of living

With its seven miles of golden sandy beaches, as well as an abundance of parks and gardens, a temperate climate (the annual rainfall is well below the national average) and a lively entertainment scene, Bournemouth is populated by a rich mix of professionals, students, creatives, and sports enthusiasts. Although many of them also work in the area, it’s not unusual to meet people with jobs in London as well, with it being just a 95-minute train ride to London Waterloo.

Given that several of Dorset’s beaches having been awarded Blue Flag status, there’s plenty of scope for relaxing – which is probably why the areas has such a laidback feel! But it’s a great spot for those who like to be active, too, with many using the coastal environment to sail, surf, windsurf, kitesurf and paddleboard. Inland, the rich landscape lends itself well to cycling, walking or hiking – especially in the neighbouring New Forest and the picturesque district of Purbeck.

Although Dorset is a very rural area (more than 40% of the county has been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty!) with no cities or motorways, there are still plenty of options for those who prefer to live closer to the action. In the county town of Dorchester and the seaside towns of Poole and Bournemouth, there are homes for first-time buyers, terraced family homes, stone cottages, and plenty of period properties.

Wherever you choose to live, you needn’t worry about schools, should you be bringing your family with you. Education is well provided for, with above national average results consistently achieved across the borough’s schools. You needn’t worry about being ‘stuck’ in the area either. The direct rail route to London Waterloo, which we mentioned earlier, means Gatwick and Heathrow airports aren’t far. Not only that; Bournemouth, the largest town in Dorset, has its own international airport, too.

Bournemouth Beach, Bournemouth

Our candidates’ experience